The Winter Dance
by Emmikm
Summary: There is a winter dance at Hogwarts and Harry doesn't want to go with Ginny, so who will he go with?


The Winter Dance  
  
   
  
    Harry awoke the morning of holiday break. He yawned and slumped back on his bed. "Ron?" he whispered loudly to the snoring lump one bed over. "I'm asleep!" called a tired Ron through a pile of blankets. "Shut up, you two!" called Dean Thomas to Harry and Ron. Harry pulled some comfortable robes and socks on and headed for the common room. Hermione was sitting in an armchair by the vivid fire roaring in the fireplace. She had some buttered toast and a cup of hot chocolate. Harry sat in the chair next to her. "Good morning Harry would you enjoy some toast?" she said with what seemed to be pretend cheerfulness. "Er... Hermione, are you alright?" "Sure!" she said in a voice that was a bit more normal. Then, Ginny came from the girls' dormitory, wearing purple flowered pajamas and pink fluffy slippers. Ginny pulled her red hair back behind one shoulder and squeezed into Harry's chair with him. "Harry, you can have the rest of this toast. I have to do some work!"  "You don't think she's jealous, do you?" Ginny asked Harry. "Of what?"  "Well, of me and you, if you get what I'm saying." "You don't think-" "Maybe." Ginny grabbed a piece of toast off the plate Harry was holding.  "She might have wanted you to take her to the winter dance." Ginny said thickly through a mouthful of toast. "Well, then why didn't she ask me?" Harry wondered. "Well, isn't it obvious? We are kind of.. well, going out and maybe she didn't think you wanted to go with her." she explained. Ron walked in and Ginny quickly hopped across the floor to the armchair opposite the one she had been in. She hated to be seen with Harry around Ron, and Harry was embarrassed being with Ginny around the Weasleys. "Did you know people whispering has a sound level of 30 decibels?" Ron said trivially. "Really," said Ginny dully. "I have no idea!" Ron said. "But that's not the point! The point is, Ginny seems to think Hermione is jealous of you because you're going with Harry to the winter dance. For your information, when I asked her she seemed quite pleased." he continued, agitated. "You know, I'm really glad it's your final year of balls at Hogwarts! All this arguing over who's going with who. Honestly, Ron!" Ginny said in a huff, and walked back into the girls' dormitory. Harry shrugged, gave the toast to Ron, and left for the dorm to change for Quidditch practice. Ron sat on an armchair, and began to eat the toast. "Whose toast is this, anyway!" he wondered aloud.  
  
   
  
     The evening of the ball, Harry pulled on some navy robes. He saw Ron in the common room in robes of deep plum. Ginny was waiting for Harry, wearing sunny yellow dress robes with sky blue beads at the hems. Ginny's hair was down, with a French braid halfway down her head and the rest of it loose and curly. Hermione stepped in wearing crimson robes with her hair cascading down her back in soft curls. "Hi Harry! Hi, Ron! Hello, Ginny." Hermione greeted them. Harry and Ron's eyes were wide at the sight of Hermione. They left the common room and headed to the Great Hall. The ceiling was made to look like a night sky, and cool snowflakes fluttered from the clouds. A small snowfall covered the floor. Celestina Warbeck stepped onto the stage, and began to sing. Ginny asked Harry to dance, and they did. As they were dancing, Harry spotted Cho dancing with, of all people, Malfoy. She was wearing light blue robes and snowflakes had landed in her dark hair, her cheeks pink from smiling and dancing. They sat down at the small, snowflake shaped tables for dinner, which were extremely uncomfortable, especially if you accidentally ran into one of the points. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Parvati Patil sat at one table. You could only fit six, with the points. They ate, conversing politely, none of them too sure what to say after what they said in the common room. Afterwards, they danced some more and then, tired, sat to talk some more. Cho, Parvati, and Ginny all had asked Harry- Cho after she decided she didn't like Malfoy after all, Parvati, because she seemed uncomfortable dancing with Neville, and Ginny, naturally, with her being the one he had taken to the dance. Ron had forbade Hermione to ask Harry because- what if she really was jealous of Ginny? and because Harry had been asked enough already. After Harry had danced with Cho for the second time, Hermione said, "Harry, could you come outside for a moment?" Ron opened his mouth to object, but Harry stopped him. "We'll be a minute," he told his friends at the table.  
  
   As soon as they were free, Harry felt relieved. It was a bit hot in there, even as it was snowing. "Harry, I- I should have told you this before. I really didn't want to go to the dance with Ron!" she said. "Me, neither." Harry replied. Hermione stared at him, one eyebrow raised. Harry turned pink. "I-I meant...I meant.." he stuttered. They laughed. "I know what you meant." Hermione said, and burst into a fit of giggles. She calmed down. I wanted to go with you, but I kind of didn't want to break any relationship you had with Ginny." "Well, Ginny, that was kind of forced, anyway. Nobody ever asked me if I wanted her to be my.. girlfriend." He blushed. "Anyway. People just assumed I liked her back. Not that I don't... just- just not in that way." "I know what you mean. "Hermione said. She pulled her hair back off her face with her fingers and let it fall. She sat down on the ground next to a large hedge bordered by rosebushes.  Harry, particularly uncomfortable, sat down next to her. She scooted closer, their robes touching.  She plucked a scarlet rose from the bush behind her, and used its stem to tie her snowflake-sprinkled hair up into a elegant ponytail. Harry wound a curly strand around his finger, and Hermione pulled it out. They kissed briefly, and went inside silently only to find the ball was over and students were returning to their common rooms. "Goodnight, Harry!" Hermione called. "Goodnight," Harry replied. 


End file.
